[Larry Hickey]

Bill,

According to the translation (from German) of the Heinrich Weiss Manuscript for July 2, 1940, I provide this excerpt (Copyright IHRA 2012):

"Despite unfavorable weather the 9th Air Division attempted to strike the Vickers-Armstrong Factory plant in Newcastle-on-Tyne with three Ju 88 bombers of 7./KG4. Two crews reported dropping 8 SC250 bombs, which were accurate and caused some explosions. Then the German bombers encountered enemy fighters and climbed up into the clouds. Heavy AA fire came from downtown and from the eastern outskirts (of the city). The barrage-balloons were positioned at an altitude between 1300 and 1500 meters. A new airfield, still under construction, was spotted approx. 10-15 km east of the city.

The bombs fell in Newcastle and Jarrow, on the southern bank of the Tyne Estuary. They inflicted material losses and killed 13 civilians and wounded 121.

Flak splinters hit one of the engines of the Ju 88 bomber coded “5J+BR”. The pilot tried to nurse his shot-up plane back to base but shortly after crossing of the coast the engine started to burn and the plane was forced down near Iheringsfehn, 10 km NNE of Lee in the East Frisian Island Chain and was an 85% write-off:

7./KG4 Ju 88A-1 “5J+BR” (5066) 85% Forced-landed in its own territory after being damaged by flak.
Uffz. Wilhelm Knobling (pilot) WIA
Uffz. Gerhard Levadowski (auxiliary observer) WIA
Uffz. Hans Krahn (wireless operator) WIA [end of page]
Gefr. Karl Rauchfuß (flight engineer) WIA"

Our EoE loss list for this date provides this information:

"July 2, 1940: 7./KG4 Junkers Ju88A-1 (5066). Wrecked in crash-landing at Jheringsfehn, north-east of Leer, due to engine failure. FF Uffz Wilhelm Knobling, BO Uffz Gerhard Lewandowski, BF Uffz Hans Krahn, and BM Gefr Karl Rauchfuß all badly injured. Aircraft 5J+BR 85% damaged - write-off."

I should note that I'm sure that Peter Cornwell will be revising this entry further based upon the info from Weiss.

If you have anything that you can add to this account or our loss list, including information from the British fighter interception, events on the ground, etc., please contact me. I'm wondering whether anywhere there might be photos of this Ju88 FL on the German island.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator